Workmen's advocate., 1887-04-30
SOCIAL SCIENCE FOR THE
 PEOPLE,,
WHO SHOULD BE SOCIALISTS

To you, reader, the word Socialist" may have an obnoxious meaning. Your idea of Socialists may be: "A lot of lazy, idle, thieving, ignorant fellows who wish to deprive the industrious of their earn ings and diride 4 among Themselves This is a wrong idea. Socialism" :" Webster says, lis theory that advo- cates more precise, orderly and hal- monious arrangement of the social rela- tions of mankind than that which has 2 hitherto prevailed.
 "What Y you excaim, "is that Social ism! Why, seldom ever take up a paper that does not denounce Socialism . as something very wicked" An, you will be sadly deceived if you depend for correct information concerning Social ism on prejudiced papers or individuals who do aot want order and harmony in our social relations, for fear their profits might be curtaied.
 Socialists then, are those who believe in and advocate this theory of greater order, precision and harmony. In their ranks are some of the most learned pro- fessors of several of the most renowned universities of the world; and the great body of Socialists are persons of intelli- gence, animated by desire to secure tie well-being of all. Socialism is based upon justice and right, and not on force, fraud, superstition or tradition.
 UNDER PRESENT CONDITIONS.
 After a weeks work you go home with hardly wages enough to keep body and soul togther If, perchance, by de- nying yourself many of the comforts and pleasures of life, you are enabled to lay by little out of your daily wages, a few weeks or months of enforced idle ness will compel you to spend it. Thus you are doomed to be always mere hired laborer-a wage-slave-with but slight chance of ever bettering your con dition.
 Some become wealthy" you say. . Granted. But this is so exceptional it proves the opposite to to be the rule. You can count the rich men of your ac- quantance-risen from the ranks-om the fingers of one hand: but the poor men of your simultaneously to count ttem on your fingers. Count the number who strive for success, but are rewarded by failure.
 Through our present method of distri- outing the results of labor, the workers are deprived of a greater part of what they produce. For between the pro- ducer and the consumer stands an army of unnecessary middle and capital ists intent on tilching from hosest labor everything possible, leaving only bare subsistence.
 a By our present system of production everything is done in hap hazard way. Food, clothing-all we eat and wear are produced in unknown and uncertain quantities, entailing untold misery on millions of hardworking people through unequal production in the different trades. Ten factories are erected, with bosses, superintendents, foremen, etc. to say nothing of the sinecure situations created for the relatives and friends of favored stockholders when two built correctly would produce better goods and more economically, and by wedding out the non-producers, give the workers shorter hours and better wages.
 There is another and greater wrong in our present social system. Under its workings few are enabled, by the acci- dent of birth and the effect of unjust laws, to monopolize all the means of labor. Having the power, they deprive all the rest of greater part of what they produce, thus keeping them in poverty. and consequently dependent on